It Would Be So Easy
by James B. Moore
Summary: Call it a stroke of good luck, or an opportunistic father, but no matter what you call it, there's no denying that Adrien Agreste is ecstatic to work alongside the Ladybug as a model. Finally, a chance to just be himself around the girl he loves. But is he truly ready for the consequences of his desires?


"Adrien, I need a new model."

Gabriel Agreste sat behind his desk, strategically rearranging the stacks of documents on his desk to accommodate his system of organization. He really was paying his secretary too much; she should know to maintain a certain state of cleanliness in his office. Assessing his workplace, the tall, blond man barely paid much attention to the smaller blond boy sitting across him, his son.

"Am I being replaced?" Adrien's muscles tensed as he waited for his father's response. His father had shown no signs of disappointment in his work, let alone any desire to replace him. But this was not the time to be petty. Before he could be a boy, Adrien had to be a professional, and his feelings about disappointing his father would have to take a backseat to pleasing his father. "Should I arrange for auditions in my school?"

"There's no need. I already have a model in mind, and she won't be replacing you. You two will work together and revolutionize Parisian fashion," Gabriel said, sliding a picture of a familiar, ebony-haired girl towards Adrien.

Adrien felt his jaw slacken, and he fought to maintain his composure. "Is that-"

"The Ladybug, yes. I'm sure you know who she is, much like everyone else in Paris. I have had a team of employees polling the citizens in France about their opinions on her as well as researching her background." Gabriel pulled out a folder, opening it to reveal several pictures of the Ladybug in action in one side and a thick stack of sheets in the other. He pulled a single paper from the stack and handed it to Adrien, who noticed that it was almost entirely composed of data. "They discovered that the people generally admire her, and the ladybug print has increased in popularity since the time of her appearance. Her popularity and distinctive style are going to be key to reaching larger audiences and expanding the reach of my designs. And you will be by her side as the trademark model of my designs, also serving to demonstrate the closeness between this hero and the civilians. Do you think you can handle the job?"

 _Handle_ the job? Not only did Adrien feel he could handle it, he felt ecstatic, shocked, excited, eager, and so many other words that made him want to jump out of his chair and do a happy dance. But once again, Adrien maintained his composure, and with a straight face and a clear voice he responded, "Yes, Father."

"Good. I'll have a team reach out to Ladybug for a meeting sometime next week. That is all." Gabriel turned to his computer and began typing away, signifying the end of their meeting.

Adrien gathered his schoolbag and quickly left the office, closing the door behind him quietly before dashing to his room. As soon as he closed his bedroom door behind him, he started pumping his fists and cheering for himself.

"I don't see why you're so happy. It's a good thing you still had some cheese in your bag, because I can't stand being bored. I think I'd rather face a hundred akuma alone than sit through another one of your dad's meetings again." Plagg scoffed as he flew out of Adrien's bag, settling comfortably on his bed.

"Don't you get it, Plagg? I'm going to be working with _**the**_ Ladybug!" Adrien danced around his bed excitedly, unable to contain his emotions.

"You work with her almost every day," Plagg pointed out, wondering why the human was so excited to do what he had been doing for a fairly long time.

"Yeah, as Chat Noir, the cat who can never seem to win her heart. But this time I'll be Adrien Agreste, the son of Gabriel Agreste. I don't want to brag too much, but I'm a model for my father's famous designs, and I'm blessed with charming good looks. I get driven around by a chauffeur!" Adrien paused for a brief second, and the gears turned rapidly in his head as he thought about his circumstances. Soon after, he reached his epiphany. "Maybe the cat ears and the tail are the only things holding me back?"

Adrien didn't even see the bemused look on Plagg's face before he bagan pacing around his room. "Of course! This is the perfect opportunity! No akuma getting in the way, no pesky bad luck, no transformation time limits. I can just be me, and she'll fall in love, and then I'll reveal the truth. It would be so easy!"

"I guess it's a good thing you had that long meeting with your dad," Plagg said, still not completely following the boy's musings, but happy for him nonetheless.

"Well, it's a good thing you ate that cheese because I told Ladybug we'd patrol tonight." Adrien said, with a smile on his face.

And as Adrien leapt from rooftop to rooftop in the City of Lights, he couldn't help but repeat those words to himself. _It would be so easy…_


End file.
